Finding the Third Proportional to 31,897 and 74,502

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,897 : 74,502 = 74,502 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,897/74,502 = 74,502/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,897x = 74,502 × 74,502
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,897x = 5,550,548,004
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,550,548,004/31,897
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 174,014.74